1. Field
This disclosure generally relates, without being restricted thereto, to devices, systems and/or methods configured to handle or manage communication signalling or data traffic to, from and between entities such as terminals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobility management of a mobile entity or terminal e.g. of a subscriber may be based on mobile IP, internet protocol. WiMAX, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, defines standards for network access. As an example, layer 3 mobility management in a WiMAX based architecture such as WiMAX Network Working Group, NWG, Release 1.0 networks as described in WiMAX NWG Stage 2 or 3, “WiMAX End-to-End Network System Architecture”, Mar. 28, 2007, “http://www.wimaxforum.org/technology/documents/WiMAXNetworkArchitectureStage2-3 Rell.0.0.zip”, is based on mobile IP, as described in section 4.8 of the document. In the context of WiMAX NWG specification the mobility management based on mobile IP (either mobile IP version 4, MIPv4, or mobile IP version 6, MIPvβ) is called CSN anchored handover. CSN stands for a connectivity serving network which may be based on WiMAX.
During CSN anchored mobility management some network functions responsible for handling a mobile station, MS, can be relocated to a gateway of an access service network, ASN GW, which is closer to a base station BS where the mobile station MS is currently attached.
In particular, functions that may be relocated may include one or more of the following, an anchor data path function, DPF, a foreign agent, FA, function (in case of IPv4) and an access router, AR, function (in case of IPv6).
In a WiMAX functional model, an anchor data path function can be collocated with a foreign agent and/or access router function in case of IPv6. Functions that remain in the original ASN GW may e.g. be an authenticator function and a proxy mobile IP, PMIPv4, client function which are also collocated. Also some other functions remain in the original access services network gateway like accounting client and anchored service flow authorization, SFA.